Fire escape



July 22,1947. EE RE I 2,424,365

FIRE ESCAPE Filed Sept. 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S 1- J 11 I n I u /2 IH L- 'f I I I film/mm i fir? (W 865 513 7 July 22, 1947. 4 NE E RE2,424,365

FIRE E SCAl PE Filed Sept. 1, 1944 2 Sheets--Sheet 2 v/Ve eJ/z WW 12mInventor Patented July 22, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE FIRE ESCAPEJohn Needre, Newport News, Va. Application September 1, 1944, Serial No.552,315

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to fire escapes, and the primary object of theinvention is to provide a simple and durable structure of this kindadapted to be installed upon public and private buildings, whereby readyand safe egress from the different fioors and from any window on thefront or side of the building on which the fire escape is arranged, canbe readily had in case of a fire in the building.

Other and more specific objects and features of the invention willbecome apparent from the following description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings, and the invention consists inthe novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described, shown in the drawings, and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing a wall of abuilding provided with my improved fire escape.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-4! of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 represents a wall of a building,and 6, Ga.- and 6b the windows arranged, respectively, on the second,third and fourth floors of the building.

The present fire escape includes horizontal rails I arranged across theupper portions of the windows on the different floors and extendingacross the entire width of the building. These rails are preferablyformed of metal tubing and secured to metal brackets or supports 8provided at their outer ends with couplings 9 to which the rails areconnected. The rails 1 are arranged at a suitable distance from the wallof the buildin and across the upper portions of the windows on eachfloor, so as to permit a person to conveniently reach .a rail near eachwindow.

Vertical hanger bars III are secured on the outside of the wall 5between the adjacent windows and extend from the top of the wall to apoint below the windows 6 on the second floor. These hanger bars havebrackets 8 welded or otherwise secured thereto, and they are preferablysecured to the wall by means of bolts ll passin through the wall and thebars l and having nuts l2 threaded thereon. Also, the bars ID arepreferably provided with hooked upper ends [3 arranged to engage overthe parapet at the top of the wall to aid the bolts II, in sustainingthe weight of the various parts of the fire escape. Relatively narrowhorizontal platforms l5 are arranged directly below the windows on thedifferent floors and extend across the entire Width of the building,said platforms being mounted on the hanger bars I0 by suitable brackets16. Suitable spacers ll are arranged on the bolts ll between the wall 5and the hanger bars If! so as to space the latter from the wall andthereby furnish additional foot room which is needed in view of thenarrow form of the platforms I5.

Upon leaning a suitable distance out of the window on any floor, aperson can grasp the adjacent rail 1 and thereby succeed in readily andsafely passing outwardly through the window to assume a standingposition upon the platform directly below that particular window. Theperson may then safey reach the ground by passing to the successiverails 1 and platforms [5 below the window through which egress has beenhad, the descent being accomplished much in the same manner as thatfollowed in dismounting from an ordinary ladder.

It will be seen that the present fire escape is very simple and durable,easy and safe to use, convenient and economical to manufacture andinstall, and composed of no movable parts needing attention or care orcapable of placing the user in a precarious position. Minor changes indetails of construction illustrated and described are contemplated, suchas fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a fire escape, the combination of horizontal rails indirectlymounted on the wall of a building so that one rail extends across theentire Width of the Wall and across the upper portions of the windows oneach of the different floors, and horizontal platforms mounted on thewall. of the building so that one platform extends across the entirewidth of the wall directly beneath the windows on each of the differentfioors, and vertical hanger bars bolted to the wall of the buildingbetween the windows and extending from the top of the Wall to a pointbelow the W ndows on the second floor of the building, and bracketsrigidly attached to said hanger bars and extending outwardly therefrom,said horizontal rails being carried by the outer ends of said brackets,said platforms being carried by said hanger bars.

2. In a fire escape, the combination of horizontal rails mounted on thewall of a building so that one rail extends across the entire width ofthe wall and across the upper portions of the windows on each of thedifferent floors, and horizontal platforms mounted on the wall of thebuilding so that one platform extends across the entire width of thewall directly beneath the windows on each of the different floors, andhanger bars carrying said rails and platforms and having hooked upperends engaged over the parapet of the building wall.

3. In a fire escape, the combination of horizontal rails indirectlymounted on the wall of a building so that one rail extends across theentire width of the wall and across the upper portions of the windows oneach of the different floors, and horizontal platforms mounted on thewall of the building so that one platform extends across the entirewidth of the wall directly be-' neath the windows on each of thedifferent floors, and vertical hanger bars bolted to the wall of thebuilding between the windows and extending REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Barker July 23, 1889 Number I 407,322

